


An Unexpected Truth

by opalmatrix



Category: The Eagle of the Ninth - Rosemary Sutcliff
Genre: Flash Fic, Fortune Telling, Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 02:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1114634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uncle Aquila gets a surprising bit of information.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Carmarthen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmarthen/gifts).



> Prompt (from [this generator set](http://panthermoon.com/generator.php)) = _A Spiritual Advisor * feathers_. No beta.

The man in the dark robe was gesturing and speaking with great intensity. Aquila was mystified, but Claudius Hieronimianus seemed to understand every word. "He doesn't look like Jew," muttered Aquila.

"He's not," said Hieronimianus. "He's from one of the desert tribes. He says he wasn't causing any trouble when two men set upon him in the marketplace."

"Can't he think of any reason for that?"

Hieronimianus spoke to the stranger, haltingly. The other replied. "He's a soothsayer, I believe," said Hieronimianus. "He was casting fortunes in the marketplace, and some of the locals took exception to what they called unclean practices."

"What exactly was he doing? Will he tell you?"

"He says," translated Hieronimianus, after another exchange, "that he will show you, if you have a question for him. And if you give him a piece of silver."

Aquila snorted. "They're all the same, anywhere in the Empire!" He produced a coin. "Ask him what good I'm going to get out of this tour of duty in Judaea."

The man bowed as he took the silver. Then he squatted down and drew a pattern of squares in the dust: twelve of them. He took out a cloth wrapped around what turned out to be a few feathers, all apparently from different sorts of birds. The soothsayer cast the feathers over the pattern in the dust and watched intently as they drifted down. Then he smiled and spoke to Hieronimianus.

Hieronimianus started. "What did he say?" asked Aquila.

"He says that … the treasure you will get here stands beside you." Hieronimianus was flushed.

"Well," said Aquila, feeling rather hot about the ears himself. "Fancy that."


End file.
